Improvement in rotary paper-folding machines



- Z Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. DUNCAN, W. A. & G. A. WILSON.

ROTARY PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE. No. 185,898.

Patented Jan. 2,1877.

N PETERS. PNDTO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. DUNCAN, W. A. & G. A. WILSON.

' N. PETERS, PHOTD-UTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAM A. WILSON, AND GEORGE A. WILSON, OF LIVERPOOL,ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY PAPER-FOLDING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,898, dated January2, 1877; application filed August 14, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAMASHLEY WILSON, and GEORGE ASHLEY WILsoN, all of Liverpool, in the countyof Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inRotary Paper-Folding Machines, which improvements are fully set forth inthe following specification, reference being had. to the accompanyingtwo sheets of drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide simple and efficient meansfor folding sheets of paper, or paper as it issues from theprinting-cylinders of a web-printing machine.

Hitherto paper has been folded either by means of a knife or bladedoubling or creasing the said paper when stationary, and forcing itbetween two rotating rollers, or by means of a knife or blade secured onand projecting from a rotating cylinder, doubling or creasing the saidpaper when passing over such cylinder, and forcing the doubled orcreased portion between gripers, rollers, or tapes contained in a secondrotating cylinder.

Now, our invention consists, essentially, in the use of two rotatingcylinders, between which the paper passes, and in one of which a wiper,Scraper, lifter, or gatherer is employed to wipe, scrape, lift, orgather up, and carry forward from off the surface of the other cylinder,that portion of the paper where it is desired to make a fold. The foldedsheet is then released, to receive a second fold or to be delivered, asdesired.

Under a first modification, the said wiper, scraper, litter, or gathererconsists of a knife or blade-fitted in a groove, and caused, by means ofa cam or its equivalent, to move over the surface of the other cylindertoward the edge or lip of the groove, and so wipe, scrape, lift, orgather up a portion of the pa- 7 per between itself and the edge or lipof the groove.

Under a second modification, we employ in a rotating cylinder tworollers, which are caused to revolve when in contact with the paper onthe surface of another cylinder, and by their revolution wipe or gatherup and carry forward that portion of the paper where it is desired toform a fold.

To insure the correct action of the wipers, scrapers, lifters, orgatherers, we either so construct that portion of the surface of thecylinder from which the paper is wiped, scraped, lifted, or gatheredthat it shall be yielding or elastic-say. by means of curved springs-orwe give a little in-and-out play to the said wipers, scrapers, lifters,or gatherers by means of springs, or their equivalents.

Figure l is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation, of apparatusillustrative of our invention. Here three cylinders, 00 b 0, areemployed for giving two folds to the paper. In the arrangement shown thepaper is receiving the second fold. d e are the wipers, scrapers,gatherers, or lifters, formed of a thin sheet of metal, caused tovibrate, during the revolution of the cylinders, 0n the shaftsfg bymeans of the arms h i. Springs may be used to keep the arms in contactwith the stationary cams j k. The wiper or gatherer d is shown away fromthe lip l. The wiper or gatherer e is shown close to the lip m, so as tohold the portion of the paper lifted or gathered up. The paper entersthe cylinders at n, and receives the first fold from the wiper orgatherer d, which carries round the double end of the paper until itarrives at the position shown on cylinder 1), when it moves away fromthe lip and leaves free the double paper, which is wiped or gathered upat its center by the wiper or gatherer e, to produce a second fold. Thepaper is then delivered from the cylinder 0 to further foldingmechanism, or as desired. When the paper entering at nis from a web, aknife is provided to cut the paper into sheets, and is placed, bypreference, on the cylinder 0.. o are springs secured to the surface ofthe cylinders a and b, to provide an elastic surface for the wipers orgatherers to operate upon. India-rubber springs, as shown, may beinserted under the curved springs 0, if desired.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan view, of amodification, in which rollers are used instead of a blade. a b are thecylinders q r, wiping or gathering rollers, operated from the rack s bythe gearing t. 0 are the curved springs.

Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications, in which the cylinders a, are leftsmooth, and the wipers or gatherers u are allowed a little motion to andfrom the center of the cylinders by being fitted in bearings 12. w aresprings to cause the said wipers or gatherers to fit well up to thecylinders a when operating. The arrows show the direction of motion ofthe parts.

The above apparatus may be used in conjunction with any web-printingmachine, or may be employed separately.

We do not herein claim, broadly, the combination of rotary foldingdevices with webprinting mechanism, or the combination of threecylinders having folding mechanism, the said devices and combinationsbeing shown in English Patent 3,031 of 1870; but

We claim- 1. In a paper-folding machine, the combination of twofolding-cylinders, one of said cylinders having gathering or liftingmechanism, substantially as described, for gathering or lifting thematerial from the. periphery of the other cylinder, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

2. The combination of two folding-cylinders, one of said cylindershaving gathering or lifting mechanism, substantially 'as described, forgathering or lifting the material, and the other cylinder provided withan elastic or yielding surface, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

GEORGE DUNCAN. WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON. GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES J OHNSON, W. B. JOHNSON.

